Star Wars: Rise of the Rebels
by ColorMeCareless
Summary: Follow Ch'hala Kenobi on her journey to become a Jedi. Growing up under the tutelage of Master Yoda on the swamp planet of Dagobah she must leave her Master and travel to Alderaan to complete her training and help grow the Rebel Alliance. How will her entwined destiny with a certain Skywalker interfere with her mastery of the Force?
1. Chapter 1: The Making of a Jedi

_A/N: Hello everyone! Welcome to my newest adventure! I have been out of the fanfiction game for a while, but I'm making a comeback! This story follows the adventures of Ch'hala (pronounced more easily as 'Kala'). I am relatively new to the Star Wars fandom, but I plan on trying to follow as much of the new canon as possible, but I might pick and choose elements from what is now considered the "Legends" storylines. As I begin this journey I invite you to read and review this story. Your feedback and comments/suggestions help me grow as a writer and help my stories grow which is exciting for me as the writer and hopefully exciting for you as the reader!_

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. I own my OC(s)!_

 _Enjoy!_

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Star Wars: Rise of the Rebels

Chapter 1: The Making of a Jedi

 _A small child stirred as she was gently shaken by a firm hand. Her small groggy eyes looked up at the man next to her. Without a word he gathered her up in his arms and rushed out of the shack into the hot night air. The darkness made it difficult to see, but she could hear many heavy footsteps nearby, which was unusual seeing as they lived far from any other people. The man carrying her seemed unfazed by the sound and instead pressed on through the blowing sand. As she buried her face in his cloak to escape the choking sand, she felt as though they had walked all night and if she were to lift her head she would be cloaked in sunlight._

 _The soon slowed their speed and the small girl uncovered her face only to find that it was indeed still night. She turned her attention to the cruiser they were walking towards. As they approached, a man came out to greet them._

 _"_ _Captain Delvas. You have your coordinates, correct?" the man carrying her asked as he put her down onto the soft hot sand._

 _"_ _Yes, Master Kenobi. The Dagobah System."_

 _"_ _It will not be an easy journey, but you must be quick. The Empire must not follow you."_

 _"_ _Understood." Captain Delvas nodded as he reached out for the small girl to take his hand._

 _She looked up at her father, a questioning look on her face. He knelt down to meet her at eye level. He firmly grabbed on to her shoulders as he spoke, "Ch'hala, this is Captain Delvas. He is someone you can trust. It has become too dangerous here. You must go to Master Yoda to complete your training." Her father saw the look of fear that crossed her small face. "Remember what I have taught you. You must not fear what is to come. If the Force wills it we will meet again. Take comfort in that."_

 _The girl nodded, tears starting to form in her eyes, but they did not fall, "Peace over anger. Honor over hate. Strength over fear. Peace over anger. Honor over hate. Strength over fear…" she repeated as she calmed._

 _"_ _Very good. Now go." He commanded giving her shoulders a squeeze. Captain Delvas reached out his hand once more, and Ch'hala took it without hesitation. As she turned to enter the cruiser she exchanged one last smile with her father. As the walkway lifted she felt… cold._

 _The lights went out and she could see nothing around her. In the distance she saw a glowing violet light. It was beautiful, drawing her closer to it. The closer she got to the light the colder she felt and she knew this was a source of great evil. When she was but an arms-length away she could finally see the light for what it was. A staff. She studied it, the way the wood seemed to twist around itself was beautiful and mesmerizing. Her eyes traveled up until they reach a hand. It was rather pale and quite large. Her eyes slowly worked their way up the man's arm. His face was equally as pale as his hand and his hair almost white. The only feature of his that seemed to stick out were his eyes. Dark. That was the only way to describe them. It was impossible to tell whether they were dark brown or dark blue, but it didn't matter. She tried to think, to look back in her mind to see if she knew this man, perhaps from long ago._

 _As she searched the corners of her mind she didn't notice the violet light start to fade away. It wasn't until she felt the all too familiar feeling of sand whipping across her face that her focus came back to what was in front of her. The wind was so strong and the sand clouds were so thick that she could hardly see._

 _"_ _Help me Obi Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope." Ch'hala nearly jumped as the woman's voice boomed around her and clouded her mind._

 _"_ _Help me Obi Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope." The voice kept repeating, each time slightly quieter than the last. As the voice quieted Ch'hala could feel her senses returning and she began to sense a familiar presence. She turned to her right and saw a hooded figure standing above an unconscious young man. The hooded figure turned his head towards her, but before she could see his face the sand swirled around her and the woman spoke again,_

 _"_ _Help me Obi Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope."_

"Help me Obi—only hope. Help me Obi Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope…" Ch'hala mumbled as she rolled over. She groaned in exhaustion as she rubbed the sleep away from her eyes. She sat up and looked out of the small window next her bed into the dense swamp. It was almost impossible to tell what time of day it was since the dense vegetation hardly let any sunlight through. However, after 10 years of living here, Ch'hala had learned to use the humidity to tell time. And by the way her chocolate brown hair stuck to her face, she could tell it was just before sunrise.

Ch'hala pushed the thin blanket off and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She reached under to bed to grab her boots and quickly put them on. She stood up, grabbed a handful of yarum seeds and walked outside.

"Well I better make sure Master Yoda is awake," she mumbled to herself eager to start training and get her mind off her dream. "Master Yoda!" Ch'hala knocked on the small door of her Master's hut. "Master Yoda?" She questioned, knocking once more.

"Ready to train, you are." Master Yoda chuckled standing behind his padawan. Ch'hala spun around to meet her Master's gaze. She nodded and kneeled down to carry him on her back.

They weaved their way through the trees and vines in relative silence except for the occasional 'Hmmmm' from her Master. He must have sensed her unrest. She just couldn't shake the dream from her mind. She had had the same dream several times over the 10 years she had lived on Dagobah, but this time it felt…different. The best way she could describe it was like it was closer. Closer to her, closer to reality.

They reached a small clearing with some solid flat ground and Ch'hala kneeled down once more to let her Master down. She took out her lightsaber and ignited it holding it out in front of her. She took a deep breath and listened to Master Yoda's words,

"Feel the Force, you must. Flow through you, it does. Control your breathing, control your thoughts." She slowed her breathing and tried to control her thoughts. She closed her eyes and heard her Master's lightsaber ignite. She heard the soft whirring and humming of his lightsaber as he moved it around and she moved her lightsaber to match his movements.

She opened her eyes and moved to strike. Her movements her quick, but he matched her movements with ease. As she sparred with her Master, she noticed just how much her skills had grown recently. However, as her Master managed to land a soft blow on her left arm she realized how much she still needed to learn.

They continued on like this for what felt like hours. As they moved through the swamp she sensed what Master Yoda would do next. Then, she saw it. She knew it was coming. Her Master was going in for a low sweep. She was prepared, she was ready for it. Just as Ch'hala was about to jump over the saber she felt as though sand was pelting her. As though a thousand tiny knives were cutting her face.

 _"_ _What is this? Sand? There isn't any sand on Dagobah!"_ she thought as confusion clouded her mind. She lost her focus and lost her footing. Ch'hala stumbled back and fell. The collision with the ground jolted her back to reality. She felt a shooting pain. She was sure it was from Master Yoda's lightsaber hitting her leg, until she opened her eyes and saw the lightsaber stopped short only centimeters away from her leg,

"Woah, that was lucky. Sorry, Master Yoda." As she apologized she managed to push herself back up onto her feet. She noticed the pain can from her wrist and it hurt quite terribly, but she knew it wasn't broken. _"Sprained perhaps?"_ She thought rubbing the sore area.

"Hmm…Something troubles you, does it not?" Master Yoda asked his padawan. "This troubled I have not seen you in a long time."

Ch'hala nodded inwardly scolding herself, _"I knew I couldn't hide my restless mind from Master Yoda."_

Her master led her over to a fallen tree trunk and sat down. "What is troubling you?"

"I had a dream last night," Ch'hala began, "I saw the past; when I left Tatooine to come here, and the Darkstaff."

"Do not let the past trouble you. Changed, it cannot be."

Ch'hala nodded in agreement, "My worry stems not from the past, but from the future." Master Yoda nodded in understanding. "I believe it was the future, anyway. It was so clouded… and incomplete. There was a voice. A woman's voice. She spoke of my father. She begged for his help, from what I know not. In the sandy haze there was a young man lying in the sand unconscious and a hooded figure bent over him."

"Do you recognize the boy or the figure?" her Master asked.

"I did not recognize him, but I feel as though I should. I did not see the hooded figure's face, the whirlwind of sand clouded my vision." She explained. "I feel as though the face is not far from my view. Even now I can see the image of the figure as clearly as I had in my dream."

"Hmm… Clear your mind, you must, if you wish to make clear the future." Master Yoda advised. "Breathe in deep and feel the Force flow through you. Feel it flow through your thoughts. Clear your mind of worry and focus on the image you wish to see more clearly."

Ch'hala did as her Master advised. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and tried to center her mind on the image of the young man and hooded figure. She opened up her body and mind to the Force. She could feel it course through her. The Force entered the image in her mind and began to clear away the clouds of sand.

"I can see the boy's face clearly, but I still do not recognize him," she told Master Yoda. _"Though, I admit, his face has a certain boyish charm to it,"_ she thought to herself.

"Your smile betrays your thoughts young Ch'hala. Focus on the hooded figure, you must." Master Yoda smirked as he berated his padawan. He had trained many young Jedi in his lifetime to recognize what that kind of smile meant. As common as this sort of look was, all young Jedi must go through the trials of learning to distance themselves from such thoughts and feelings.

Ch'hala knew he was right. She had to focus. So she took another deep breath and tried to focus her mind once more. She stared at the hooded figure and tried to focus on the face as they turned their head towards her. Ch'hala's eyes snapped open.

"It's my father! He seems older, but it's definitely him. I can feel it!" Ch'hala exclaimed proud of her growing mastery of the Force. "But, why do I see him now. Why does that woman call out for his aid?" She asked Master Yoda.

"This, I have seen as well. Hmm…" Master Yoda commented as he stood. Ch'hala watched him as he paced in front of her.

"Does my father still have a role to play against the Empire? Is that woman from the Rebellion?" Her questions grew more urgent as Master Yoda continued to not offer any answers. "Perhaps I should go back to Tatooine to make sure he is all right?"

"To your father you must not go!" She was taken aback slightly. She had never seen him this stern before. "Without complete training, useless against the Empire will you be."

Ch'hala deflated slightly, _"He's right. What can I do against the terror of the Empire. I can't even focus my mind enough to see a vision of the Force clearly without Master Yoda's help."_

"I know you're right Master Yoda. You always seem to be." She heard him chuckle,

"If you believe me, then why do I sense such restlessness in you still?

"I suppose it has to do with my training. Don't get me wrong, I love training here, with you, Master Yoda, but I feel as though my training will never be complete so long as I never go on missions. So long as I never have the opportunity to help or save people, I feel as though I will never truly be a Jedi." Ch'hala had been thinking thoughts like these for a while, but she never voiced them as she knew Master Yoda knew what was best for her training.

 _"_ _I probably sound like some bratty child."_

"Correct, you are. Complete your training will not be so long as you stay here." He seemed to ponder this idea for a while. "To Alderaan, you must go. Seek out Bail Organa, you will."

 _"_ _Wait. Is he serious?"_

"Master Yoda, is this to be my mission? Seek out Bail Organa in the Alderaan System?"

"Mmmm… Hide not your identity. Your skills he will need. Leave now, you must." Master Yoda commanded.

"Now? Now!" Ch'hala exclaimed. She was not expecting to leave so soon.

"A Jedi questions not when or where they are needed." He began to walk further into the swamp.

 _"_ _Where are we going? We've never gone this far into the Northern Swamp before—"_ Ch'hala was cut off by the sight of a ship lying on the swamp floor. It was covered in moss and vines, but the brightness of the metal still shone through in some places.

"Master Yoda-?"

"A Jedi Courier, this is."

"You want me to fly this to Alderaan? I don't think it will even work!" she exclaimed. _"I've never flown before in my life. Even if I could… I don't think this thing will break out of the atmosphere, let alone make it to the Alderaan System."_

"Trust in the Force you must." Master Yoda told her motioning towards the Courier.

Ch'hala nodded. She knew that if she had any hope of using this ship to get to Alderaan she had to uncover it first. Ch'hala closed her eyes and raised her hand up towards the ship. Ch'hala focused her energy. Concentrating. Envisioning the ship raising from its green tomb. She felt the Force flow from her mind, through her arm, out her hand and surround the ship. After a few moments she heard the vines groan and snap as the ship lifted from the ground. When the ship was free she controlled its descent back towards the ground once more.

Ch'hala felt a small smile lift the corners of her mouth, _"Yes! I can't believe I did it!"_

Master Yoda pursed his lips together and nodded, "Good. Now go, you must. Trust in the Force. Guide you to your destiny, it will."

Ch'hala slowly walked towards the ship. She opened the cockpit and stepped inside. A sense of overwhelming uncertainty pulsed through her as she powered up the ship. Ch'hala took one last look at her Master and her swampy home as the Jedi Courier took off into space. Her uncertainty subsided as she focused her thoughts on her mission, Alderaan, and the unconscious boy in the sand.

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 _A/N: Well there you have it, Chapter 1! Please review and let me know what you think: good or bad._

 _See you soon!_


	2. Chapter 2: The Princess and the Jedi

_A/N: Hello everyone! Thanks for sticking around for Chapter 2! Knowing you all are reading this and your reviews inspire me to write, hence the quick update! I hope you all continue to enjoy Ch'hala's journey! Don't forget to keep those reviews coming! ^_^_

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. I own my OC(s)!_

 _Enjoy!_

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Star Wars: Rise of the Rebels

Chapter 2: The Princess and the Jedi

"This is Aldera Spa-ort Cont-lease identify." The man's voice crackled in over the comm.

"Woah… I've never seen anything like this!" Ch'hala exclaimed, awestruck by the sight of the planet and city below. From afar the planet was this gorgeous mix of blue, green and white and a much appreciated sight after a long travel through the blackness of space. The way the oceans sparkled in the sunlight brought a smile to her face. They were so clear Ch'hala would bet that she could see all the way to the ocean floor if she were closer. _"Swimming in those waters would be like heaven, so cool and clean! I can honestly say that I will not miss the swamp waters of Dagobah…"_ Ch'hala mused entranced by the sight, but her thoughts quickly turned to her Master and her apprehensions about her mission, _"But I will miss Master Yoda. I fear that I will not be strong enough to face enemies on my own…"_

She shook her head, trying to focus instead on the city coming closer and closer into view. The flowing white architecture of the city seemed in perfect harmony with the nearby ocean and yet a stark contrast to the jagged mountains just beyond the city. The sunlight washed the tall spire like buildings in a warm yellow glow that seemed to draw Ch'hala closer and closer…

"Attention unknown vessel! This is Aldera Spaceport Control. Please identify!" The man's voice rang through over the comm, this time shocking Ch'hala out of her daze. She noticed that she was flying dangerously close to the tops of the city buildings. One particularly tall spire seemed to jut out in front of her spacecraft causing her to jerk the controls towards herself in a daring attempt to bring the craft up,

"Woah that was close…" she sighed turning her attention to the man's voice urgently repeating his commands. Ch'hala hurriedly looked around the control panel for the comm switch, _"Ah, there it is!"_

"Come in Aldera Spaceport Control. Sorry, I was… experiencing some trouble with my communications system. This is Ch'hala Kenobi. I'm here seeking an audience with Senator Bail Organa. I'm requesting permission to dock."

"You're breaking up. Please repeat."

"This is Ch'hala Kenobi. I'm here seeking an audience with Senator Bail Organa and I need to dock!" Ch'hala repeated half shouting. She knew it wouldn't improve the sound quality, but she subconsciously did it anyway.

"Permission to dock granted. Proceed to docking bay 4."

"Docking bay 4. Got it." Ch'hala confirmed slowly descending into the docking area. _"Oof! I don't think this thing was made to bounce…"_ Ch'hala worried inwardly as she 'landed'. The cockpit depressurized as she lifted the glass covering and stepped out onto the docking platform.

"Ms. Kenobi, welcome to Aldera. I am See Threepio, human-cyborg relations. I am here to take you to Senator Organa. Now if you would follow me this way, please." The bronze humanoid droid made a sweeping motion with his arm, or rather his torso, to indicate which direction to go. Ch'hala nodded in understanding and followed alongside the droid. She had never encountered a droid before and was slightly amused by this droid's prim and proper attitude.

She had subconsciously been tuning out the jabbering droid as they walked. He had this extraordinary ability to talk and even complain about just about everything. His main focus, at the moment, was discussing how he had come to be in the service of the House of Organa. A thrilling tale, Ch'hala was sure, but the beauty of the spaceport and then the Royal Palace distracted her from much of his tale.

Never having met a droid before, Ch'hala wondered if all droids talked this much, or all of them had interesting stories to tell. She figured that if he loved to talk so much it wouldn't hurt to ask him a question, "I've never met a droid before, so excuse me for asking this, but are all droids as refined and friendly as you?"

"Oh no, Ms. Kenobi, I'm afraid not. You see I'm a protocol droid. My primary functions are etiquette and protocol and I am fluent in over six-million forms of communication—"

 _"I get the feeling he's said this about one hundred times before…"_ Ch'hala mused.

"Unfortunately not all droids are programmed with these specifications. You will find that many astromechs are much more 'rough around the edges' as one might say." Threepio finished.

"I see. Well I look forward to encountering all kinds of droids from now on."

"Very good Ms. Kenobi. Senator Organa is just through these doors." The droid pushed open the doors to reveal a large foyer. The room was gigantic in size with large dark blue tapestries hanging from the ceiling. The white and gold detailed columns towered over the senator standing in the center of the room.

"Ah! Theeprio, Ms. Kenobi there you are. It's wonderful to meet you," Senator Organa greeted extending his hand. Ch'hala reached out and shook it,

"It great to meet you, as well, Senator. There is much we need to discuss," Ch'hala responded bringing her mind back to her mission.

"Yes, I imagine there is, but first there is something I need to ask you," the senator eagerly began. Ch'hala cocked her head to the side, interested in what he wanted to know so terribly. "Kenobi. That is an interesting name. Is it an alias?"

 _"What an odd question…"_ "No… It is not an alias," Ch'hala began, "My name is Ch'hala Kenobi, I am the daughter of Obi Wan Kenobi, Jedi Master." Ch'hala finished bowing slightly at the formal introduction. As she looked back up at the senator she saw a new smile. A truly happy smile, not just polite like before.

"Wonderful!" He exclaimed. "Your father is an old friend of mine. I'm glad to hear he's still alive!"

 _"Wait a second…"_ Ch'hala was confused. "You knew my father?" Her father didn't talk much about his life before he met her mother. She almost wished she could ask Senator Organa about her father, but she knew that wouldn't be wise. She could almost hear Master Yoda scolding her attachment to the past, but she sometimes longed for the past. She longed for the days when she would run through the desert with her father. She longed to see her mother again—Senator Organa's voice stirred her from her thoughts.

"He never told you-? Oh, well I suppose he wouldn't, now would he?" he seemed slightly embarrassed at his initial excitement.

"Well, he might have. It's just… I left my father when I was young. I went to Master Yoda to train," Ch'hala explained. "But my father is still alive. I have sensed it."

"Then there is hope…" Senator Organa whispered to himself, but perhaps a bit too loudly,

"Hope?" Ch'hala asked, interested.

"Hope for us all. Hope for the rebellion. With Master Obi Wan, Master Yoda and now _you_ Master Ch'hala we have more hope for bringing this oppressive Empire down." His hopefulness was almost inspiring.

"I am humbled by your notion, Senator, but I am not yet a Jedi Master. Master Yoda has sent me here to complete my training. I'm here to help you in any way I can, that is my mission." Ch'hala hoped her eagerness to start her mission was not portrayed in her voice.

The senator nodded in understanding, "Well, who am I to interfere with Master Yoda's wishes." He smiled warmly at Ch'hala. She noticed his gaze shift over her head, "Leia, my dear come over here. Let me introduce you to our guest." The senator moved to stand beside the young Jedi.

Ch'hala quickly turned around to face this 'Leia'. As Ch'hala looked at the young woman walking towards her she noticed the elegance in her steps and yet the movement of her flowing white dress betrayed her hurried and rougher nature. Her presence suggested a long life of being taught etiquette and poise and yet Ch'hala could sense a fire inside her. Leia was slightly shorter than Ch'hala, but with the same small yet strong frame. Her light brown hair was done up in an elegant, if not impractically intricate braid and Ch'hala wondered if she had ever bothered to cut her hair. Ch'hala's eyes moved to finish their travels and meet her gaze, but Ch'hala barely had enough time to register their particular shade of brown when the grand foyer of the Aldera Royal Palace and Leia all disappeared from her view.

It was but a brief instance. A flash. Unlike her previous Force visions which seemed to last an eternity, this vision was simply an image. It was a face. Not a particularly remarkable face, but yet still handsome. It was a man's face, quite young with shaggy dirty blond hair that fell into his light blue eyes. Youthful eyes that appeared to work in tandem with a quirky smile to try and mask a saddened soul. Ch'hala felt sorry for the man who seemed too burdened for one so young. She felt a familiar feeling, a familiar presence as the face flashed before her. _"Could this be that same man that I saw laying in the sand with my father?"_ She resolved to think on this further, but she could hear the senator begin to speak once more,

"This is Ch'hala Kenobi. She is a Jedi that has come to help the Rebellion. And this," the senator paused, pride evident in his voice, "This is my daughter, Princess Leia Organa, and soon to be the next Alderaan Imperial Senator!"

Ch'hala's vision finally focused on the young princess who now stood in front of her. Leia's small mouth curved up into a smile and her eyes lit up at her father's words, "It's wonderful to meet you Ms. Kenobi! I am always pleased to hear that more people are standing up for the rebel cause, and a Jedi for that matter. I didn't even think they existed anymore."

"Princess Leia… Your Highness…" Ch'hala began. Her unfamiliarity with royal customs clearly evident for all to see.

"Just Leia is fine seeing as we will be working alongside each other soon enough."

"Leia." Ch'hala tested the name out. It felt wrong, disrespectful even. She had had limited contact with others since her time on Tatooine had ended and she found the calling of someone without a title to be a new and somewhat challenging experience. However, she knew being able to adapt to all situations would be a crucial part of her training, so she quickly overcame her trepidations and continued, "Well then call me Ch'hala. I insist." She returned Leia's enthusiastic smile, "I am eager to help you and the Rebellion in any way that I can."

"Oh, Father, I just had a brilliant idea. Why doesn't Ch'hala accompany Captain Antilles and the _Tantive IV_ on the supply run from Taanab to Dantooine tomorrow? I was planning on accompany him myself, but I'm sure Ch'hala's presence would be reassuring for the crew. You know how tense they get on these supply runs." Leia was technically asking permission, but it seemed to Ch'hala as though she had already made up her own mind and her father's mind for him. Ch'hala turned to Senator Organa, but sensed that he was wary of this plan.

He was quiet for some time, but eventually spoke, "I agree that it would be a good idea for Ch'hala to accompany Captain Antilles on the supply run…" Leia's smiling face twisted into, what some would call, and angry pout.

"But…" she dragged, obviously now sensing the same wariness in his voice that Ch'hala did.

"But… I don't think it would be wise for you to accompany them." The senator seemed almost nervous to say those words. Perhaps he feared the fuming princess in front of him.

"I refuse to be excluded from rebellion assignments anymore! You know the rebels need any little bit of help they can get and I believe—"

"I understand where you're coming from, my dear. I know you want to help the Rebellion, but you're needed here right now." Leia looked like she was going to retaliate, but her father continued before she got the chance, "You are to take my place at the next Senate Meeting. There is still much that you need to learn and understand before that day comes. Being a senator is much different than being a princess."

Leia's anger still seemed to radiate off of her, but apparently the senator's words were reasonable enough for her to stop arguing. A tense silence grew between the senator, the princess, and the Jedi. Ch'hala's mind began to drift towards a warm bath and a cozy bed. Or even cold water and a blanket. Either situation would have been more than enough as the exhaustion from her long trip across half the galaxy finally hit her… hard.

Whether it was by clairvoyant means or just that Senator Organa could simply read her exhaustion like it were written on her face, Ch'hala did not care. She was just glad when he broke the silence, "Threepio! Would you please escort Ch'hala to the guest chambers, please?"

Ch'hala quickly turned around. She had totally forgotten about the protocol droid standing off to the side. He had been so quiet that she was sure that he had left the foyer shortly after bringing Ch'hala to the senator. Hearing him enthusiastically respond to the senator's request and how he seemed to jabber on and on in the short span of time it took Leia to offer to take Ch'hala up to the guest quarters herself, the young Jedi wondered how he managed to keep quiet during their entire conversation.

"Follow me Ch'hala," the princess half suggested, half ordered.

Ch'hala nodded before turning to face Senator Organa once more, "Thank you for this opportunity to help the Rebellion. I promise to do all that I can on this mission and many more to come."

"I have no doubt of that. I will see you tomorrow in the docking bay. Threepio will come by your room in the morning to escort you. For now you should go get some rest." He bowed his head slightly before turning and walking away.

Ch'hala followed the princess through a winding serious of corridors. Ch'hala could tell that the princess was holding something in and she just hoped it wasn't resentment for Ch'hala going on the supply run instead of her,

"Leia, I can tell something is troubling you." Ch'hala observed, her need to help overcoming her fear of the fiery princess. She noticed the princess's shoulders relax slightly as she continued to walk in front of the Jedi.

"Is that one of those _Jedi_ tricks? Can you read my thoughts too?" the princess asked. Ch'hala thought she might have detected a little bit of sarcasm, but perhaps she just imagined it.

Ch'hala chuckled a little at the inquiry, "No, I can't read your thoughts. But emotions resonate through the Force and sometimes I can sense those."

"Hmm…" Leia seemed to be pondering this new information. "Well, you are right. I'm just frustrated. My whole life I have been training to be the next Queen of Alderaan and that was absolute torture. Then I was elected to succeed my father in the senate. I was so thrilled at first. I thought, 'Now I can finally make a difference. I can rally support for the rebellion through the Senate!' but now… Now I realize it's so much _more_ constricting than being a queen! Balancing the needs of our people and what is best for our people all within the confines of the Empire. It is quite maddening at times, I don't know how my father's done it for so long. And now, I finally get a chance to be an active member of the Rebellion and it gets taken right out from under me." Leia seemed to be venting, and it seemed to be doing some good as Ch'hala sensed a new found calmness coming from the princess as they stopped outside a pair of large white double doors.

"I see… Well your father does make a good point. How can Alderaan keep aiding the rebels without a strong presence in the Senate? It is important to keep the presence of Alderaan strong in the Senate in order to keep the Empire from discovering your peoples' ties to the Rebellion. He's just trying to guide you down the best path. We must never question our place, only do the best we can with what we are given." Ch'hala felt strange being the one to give advice instead of receive it.

"I suppose you're right." Leia sighed, "You will make a strong rebel leader one day. Your family must be very proud of you." Ch'hala was taken aback by the sincere nature of the princess's words, but she was glad the sarcastic undertone seemed to disappear from her voice.

"I don't know if they are proud of me. I have not seen my father or mother for quite a long time. My mother raised me on Cularin for the first few years of my life, but one day we traveled to Tatooine and she left me with my father to begin my Jedi training. When I was six my father said it was too dangerous to continue my training on Tatooine so he sent me to the Dagobah system to train with the great Jedi Master, Master Yoda. I lived with him for the last 10 years. I have not seen my mother since she left me on Tatooine and I have not seen my father since I left Tatooine. I can sense them sometimes…" Ch'hala trailed off. The princess stopped in front of a set of white double doors,

"Funny, I figured you were older than 16, at least older than me." Ch'hala flushed slightly. "Oh don't worry it's a good thing. It means you seem sure of yourself and your path. I admire that. And well…" she carried on, "If you can sense them then that means they're still alive right?" Leia asked. Ch'hala nodded in response. "Then, that means you may see them again one day and that is something to look forward to. Now you should rest. You have had a long trip and you will have an even longer one tomorrow." The princess smiled warmly and gave her a hug. Ch'hala froze momentarily, caught off-guard by the warm gesture, but quickly recovered and hugged the princess back. She felt a closeness with Leia that she had never felt with anyone before.

Without saying 'goodbye' or 'goodnight', the princess hurriedly walked down the corridor before turning a corner and disappearing from view leaving the young Jedi alone with her thoughts,

" _Perhaps this is what it's like to have as friend."_

* * *

 _A/N: Well there you have it, Chapter 2! Please review and let me know what you think: good or bad._

 _See you soon!_


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